A Ukrainian national allegedly involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in 2022 has been arrested in Croatia, Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office has announced. Vladimir Z. was apprehended in the coastal city of Pula by local police acting on a European arrest warrant. German authorities are now expected to initiate extradition proceedings to bring him to Germany. According to the German prosecutor’s office, the suspect is a professional diver and is alleged to have been a member of a group led by Serhii K., a former Ukrainian military officer who was charged in July.
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The group allegedly behind the Nord Stream pipeline explosions
German authorities allege that Vladimir Z. was part of the team that planted explosive devices on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. According to prosecutors, the operation involved a sailboat rented from a German company, with members of the group using forged identity documents. The vessel is believed to have departed from the northern German port city of Rostock. German prosecutors had previously charged Serhii K. with acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities.
Kyiv denies any involvement
The Ukrainian government has denied organizing the sabotage, while making no secret of its satisfaction over the damage inflicted on the pipelines. Kyiv has maintained that any action limiting Russia’s ability to fund its war against Ukraine is legitimate. The explosions occurred in September 2022, just months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, causing severe damage to both pipelines. Nord Stream 1 had been used to transport Russian natural gas to Europe, while Nord Stream 2 had not yet entered commercial operation at the time of the blasts.
